|
Welcome to another edition of DEMO(LITION) DERBY, a relatively new column dedicated solely to demos. Bolstering our underground cred since 2024! If you like reading about demos, check out our previous reviewhere!
Written by: The Administrator
If you've read our previous entries in the (obnoxiously entitled) DEMO(LITION DERBY series, you're undoubtably familiar with the toil and trouble endured by the Sleeping Village's own Pit Herder. Upon receiving permission to injudiciously trawl the depths of our inbox for demo tapes, said manager of the promo pit uncovered a veritable bounty of quality specimens. Which sure is convenient, 'cuz I personally love listening to and writing about demos. Today's catch comes from the goregrindy Cerebral Tumour, a band about which I know effectively nothing. To add to the air of mystery, the demo is the only listing under Stench Trench Productions, who appear to have released nothing else. According to the bandcamp description, Demo 1 technically contains 6 tracks proper alongside an intro and outro, but you'll also note that when you stream, the entire 10 minute and 30 second runtime is contained within a single track listed under "Cerebral Tumour - Demo I." That said, the track breaks are obvious, and with the short run time you won't be skipping around anyways. In any case, this whole experience reeks of unorthodox upload approach, and one that certainly bolsters the grimy ethos of inaccessibility, After the atmospheric, staticky, and borderline gothic intro, Cerebral Tumour get right into it with some massive and notably putrid riffage. This is dank and dark, plunged from the subterranean depths. The tone is loose and earthy and cavernous, firmly rejecting any sheen or polish. Nasty stuff, no doubt, and the general thrust of the tracks lends an aggression that plays well against the fetid sonic environment. Lest they be forgot, the vocals serve inordinately well to contribute to the existing aesthetic. Set deeply in the mix, these grinding gurgles and phlegmy roars feel truly primordial. If you're a connoisseur of gross and grindy fare, I don't suspect that you'll find Demo I revelatory or revolutionary by any stretch. But that's okay! More than okay, I'd argue. This is some dirty and disgusting music, plain and simple. If that's your thing, I highly recommend putting on a snorkel and wading in. I do hope that any releases past the demo don't lose the dense atmosphere and menacing tone--if they can keep this sound intact, Cerebral Tumour will be one to watch.
Cerebral Tumour - Demo I was released June 1st, 2024 via Stench Trench Productions. Find it here!
Cerebral Tumour can be found:
Bandcamp
0 Comments
Welcome to the second edition of DEMO(LITION) DERBY, a relatively new column dedicated solely to demos. Bolstering our underground cred since 2024!
Written by: The Administrator
Upon receiving permission to injudiciously trawl the depths of the Sleeping Village's promo pit for demo tapes, our hardworking Pit Herder caught and subsequently presented a writhing haul. A legendary catch. Turns out there's a lot of 'em, folks. It seems like demos are all we're eating these days, and so here is a brief writeup of one of my recent favorites. tethered is a quartet out of London, and this very strong 5-track demo indicates that they are intent on hitting the ground running. Leaning into an overtly emotive DIY aesthetic, tethered state that they are attempting to "bridge the gap between some of the more introspective elements of mid 90's emo and the raw energy of hardcore." In this particular scribe's opinion, they have nailed the execution, and they inherent rough-around-the-edges demo quality only exemplifies their success. This is some vehement and impassioned stuff, particularly in the case of vocalist Rose's intense delivery. Her singing reminds me of an overexposed polaroid, bringing both a sense of nostalgia and a timeless overblown emotive rawness. Take, for example, the strained and vicious "shred." The refrain of "no more patience no more peace" feels like spite incarnate, and the following verse is vengeful in a way that feels both sharply targeted and extremely real. Rose's delivery is hurried, leaving very little room for breath between words, which in turn leads to some heart-palpitating urgency. This trend of energetic emotion is displayed through the demo, and the instrumentation often matches the forward thrust of the vocals. On this note, the drums are notably present across the short breadth, a leading factor in the overall forward momentum of the tracks. On opener "torches," for example, I initially found myself following the drums more than the guitar, which almost serves more texturally. That's not to discredit the riffage, however--I particularly enjoy the jarring guitar work on the spirited "motorhinder." All told, tethered have good reason to be proud of this demo. It is well-constructed, rough and raucous without feeling over the top, and feels exceptionally heartfelt. I'm looking forward to hearing more--should they release an official debut, I'll certainly be checking it out! tethered - demo was released digitally August 19th, 2023, and saw release on cassette via strictly no capital letters. Find it here! 
Written by: The Administrator
Without fail, I get excited when a project bearing the Demo I moniker hits the ol' inbox. There is something so intrinsically intoxicating about the prospect of band's first foray, something utterly salivatory about the promise of raw potential. Add a "blackened crust" descriptor and you know I'm slamming in the earbuds with great haste. While Compress' first outing starts on a somber tone, opener "A Setting Sun" moves towards some significantly more furious environs. There's a jarring sense of movement that Compress bring to the table across these three tracks--and I mean this, of course, in the most complimentary sense of the term. 
Written by: The Administrator
There's a special irreplaceable fire and fury that exists only in the confines of a blistering proto-thrash demo tape. Reno's own Sorcerer's Sword enter this specific arena with Demo 2021, infusing the speedy thrash aesthetic with retro blackened punk. In short: goddamn. This five-track-and-an-intro barnburner is a very promising debut, as fun as it is frenetic. Sorcerer's Sword paint with a broad no-fucks-given brush, which is kind of implicit, given their chosen genre worship and hellraising aesthetic. There's little pretense lurking in their primitive yet proficient fare, and the sheer bloodletting violence they enact is a sight to behold. If you're looking for points of vague comparison, consider the filthy black/thrash likes of Sabbat and Vulcano by way of the speed of early Sodom and no-holds-barred maniacal approach of Deathhammer or Witchtrap. |
WELCOME!We provide thoughtful reviews of the music that wakes us from slumber. Archives
November 2024
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed